1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote-controllable media device and a method of operating peripheral devices using the same.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, media devices are means dealing with video signals such as TV set, video cassette recorder (VCR), set-top box, DVD, compact disc (CD) player and the like. Such devices have their own remote controllers respectively and basically are operated remotely with the use of characteristic remote controllers.
As known widely, many media devices have been developed so far and are used together by being connected to each other. The media devices connected to each other transmits/receives their characteristic data by a user's manipulation. For transmitting/receiving data reciprocally, a user is inconvenienced by using a plurality of remote controllers.
For instance, when a cable set-top box is connected to a TV receiver, a user has to use a remote controller for the cable set top box operating functions of the cable set-top box, while using another remote controller for the TV receiver for operating functions of the TV receiver. Moreover, the user has to use the remote controller of the TV receiver for adjusting a volume of the TV receiver, while pushing channel buttons on the cable set-top box remote controller to change channels of the cable set-top box. Thus, the user is inconvenienced to manipulate both of the remote controllers for the TV receiver and cable set-top box.
Meanwhile, the set-top box serves various functions such as TV information guide and the like, it is expected that the remote controller is likely to be manipulated more frequently. Thus, the manipulation of various remote controllers will be more inconvenient with the expectation of frequent use of the remote controllers to operate various functions of the TV receiver and peripheral devices thereof.
In order to connect the cable set-top box to the TV receiver, there are two ways for such a connection. First, an RF output port of the cable set-top box is connected to an RF input port of the TV receiver while a receiver channel of the TV receiver is set as channel 3 or channel 4, whereby a viewer can watch a cable-broadcasted program through the TV receiver. Second, an output terminal for composite signal of the cable set-top box is connected to an input terminal for an external composite signal of the TV receiver.
While the above connection is maintained, a remote controller for the cable set-top box is necessary for changing a receiver channel of the cable set-top box. Besides, a remote controller for the TV receiver is necessary as well for adjusting a volume of the TV receiver. Moreover, the characteristic remote controllers should be used for turning on/off the corresponding powers of the TV receiver and the cable set-top box, respectively. Further, the characteristic remote controllers are respectively used for manipulating menus of the TV receiver and cable set-top box as well.
As mentioned in the above explanation, in order to reduce the inconvenience of using the various characteristic remote controllers, a unified remote controller in which remote controller codes of a plurality of media devices are built in has been proposed. Yet, the unified remote controller should be programmed precisely to fit the corresponding media devices so as to be used properly. The programming is actually too complicated to be carried out precisely by a user. Besides, the unified remote controller is unable to be used for manipulating the media device provided that the remote controller code of the corresponding media device has not been programmed therein.